Archive for the ‘Malaysia’ Category

Be aware of the enhanced rules for getting a visa to visit China before or during the Olympics. This also applies to foreigners living in China right now. There are many articles about it and it seems the rules do change very rapidly. So here just an example article showing some reasons why these new rules are put in place:

The Chinese Government has imposed more stringent requirements for visa application because of the Beijing Olympics. Chinese Embassy counsellor Shen Yong Xian in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that stricter rules had been implemented temporarily until the end of the Games in August.

“This is to ensure that we do not receive complaints from visitors that our hotels are full and our tourist destinations are too crowded.”

“We also do not want to see people sleeping on the streets as there will be many people visiting China during the Olympic Games period,” Shen said here yesterday.

He added that it was best if visitors avoided the Olympics period.

In Singapore, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Singaporeans traveling to China from July 1 would need a visa.

Local Malaysian travel agents confirmed that they had reduced the number of China tours due to the new rules.

Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association president Chay Ng said: “Some of the travel agents have stopped organizing China tours for the time being for fear that it will be difficult to get visas right now.”

THAIPUSAM is an annual Hindu festival which draws the largest gathering in multi-racial Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur, the festival is celebrated on a mammoth scale at the Batu Caves temple on the outskirts of the city. This year it falls on Januray 23rd.

Thaipusam falls on a full moon day in the auspicious 10th Tamil month of Thai when the constellation of Pusam, the star of well-being, rises over the eastern horizon. It commemorates the day Lord Siva’s consort, the powerful goddess Parvathi, gives her son, Murugan, the vel (lance) to vanquish three demons and their large army which were plaguing the world.